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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26849623">One Less Day of Rain</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFandomLesbian/pseuds/TheFandomLesbian'>TheFandomLesbian</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Spencer's Criminal Minds One-Shots [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Criminal Minds (US TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Fluff, Jemily - Freeform, Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 16:29:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>772</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26849623</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFandomLesbian/pseuds/TheFandomLesbian</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Against her will, Emily is sent home from work with the flu.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jennifer "JJ" Jareau/Emily Prentiss</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Spencer's Criminal Minds One-Shots [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1940851</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>79</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>One Less Day of Rain</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheStrawberryGirl/gifts">thestrawberrygirl (TheStrawberryGirl)</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“I’ll cut holes in the ozone if it means you have one less day of rain.” -Lucas Regazzi </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>… </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sound of Emily’s nasally, stuffy voice echoed through the bullpen. “I don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>need</span>
  </em>
  <span> to go home, Hotch, I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>fine…</span>
  </em>
  <span>” She bounced off of the corner of her desk as she walked around it. “I can work with a cold.” JJ watched from her own desk, brow furrowed and lips pursed. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I knew she was sick.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Emily had sworn it was just a cold, but she’d swerved all over the road driving in, and JJ had watched her take a handful of ibuprofen before they headed into the building this morning. Apparently, she had experienced little relief. “Ah--Ahhh--” JJ swung up and tossed a tissue into her girlfriend’s hand just in time for Emily to sneeze into it, rather than all over Hotch’s suit. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I agree, you can work with a cold, but you cannot work with the flu, nor would the rest of us much like to catch it.” Hotch appraised her through critical eyes. “You’re not going to do anyone any good by making mistakes on your paperwork. Your judgment is compromised, and you’d be a liability in the field. Go home.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Again, Emily objected, “I don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>need</span>
  </em>
  <span> to go hoe--hoe--” JJ passed her another tissue from the tissue box. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>--hah-choo!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hotch raised his eyebrows, taking a step back from the spray of fomites the tissue failed to contain. He looked from Emily to JJ. “Take her home. Don’t let her come back here until she’s twenty-four hours fever free. Strauss will commit murder if we’re all out at the same time.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Got it.” JJ grabbed Emily by the elbow. “C’mon. C’mon, Em, we’re going home.” As Hotch walked away, he passed by Spencer’s desk, and Spencer held out the bottle of hand sanitizer to him without looking up from his file, pumping twice into the palm of his hand. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>need…</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Emily mumbled and grumbled under her breath, but she couldn’t struggle against JJ’s strength, too light-headed and dizzy to manage, and her voice became unintelligible as she muttered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In the car, Emily mumbled, “You could’ve stuck up for me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>JJ blew a short breath through her nose. “I am sticking up for you. Sometimes you’re not your own advocate, you know.” She pecked a kiss onto Emily’s cheek and cranked the car. Emily curled up in the seat with her head resting on JJ’s shoulder, all uncomfortably slung across the front of the van with her legs pointing in different directions. She snored off and on, snorting back awake when she encountered a bump in the road, until they reached the house, and JJ parked the car. Emily pulled on the door handle and pushed once, twice, three times--“Em, honey, the door’s locked.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She blinked, all befuddled at this revelation. “Huh?” Her voice had gone thick.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hold on.” JJ unlocked the car door. “I’m coming.” She walked around to help Emily out of the car and led her inside. “Sit on the couch. Sit. Sit.” At the third instruction, Emily caved and obeyed. “Do you want some orange juice or some ice chips?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Emily rubbed her eyes with her fists. “Don’t want orange juice, wanna go back to work…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, we’re not going back to work, and you need to drink something.” JJ went to the kitchen and got her a tall glass of ice water, bringing it to her and putting a fun curly straw in it. “Here. Drink it.” Emily turned her face away. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Drink,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” JJ cajoled, and reluctantly, Emily reached for the glass and sucked down a few swallows of water, her glugging becoming greedier the more she drank and realized she was thirsty. “See? You don’t feel good. You need to drink more water.” JJ pulled the tissue box beside her. Emily took one and blew her nose. “Good. Can I get you anything else?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A ride back to work.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We only have room for one workaholic at the BAU, and that’s Hotch.” JJ sat beside her on the couch, tucking her legs up under her and turning on the television; after all, it wasn’t like they had anything else to do. Emily shot her a baleful, pouty look, and then she pulled the throw off the back of the couch and curled up beside JJ. “What do you think you’re doing, hot stuff?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Emily yawned. “‘M trying to be sweet, so just hold my fucking hand.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>JJ laughed. “Alright, alright.” She gave Emily her hand and wrapped her other arm around her, soothing the chills and tremors from her aching bones. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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